Xabi

[Avmenon]

Agree with most of that,Wiz.

Was he treated badly by Rafa?..Yes..I also think he had every right to leave..What is frustrating is the way in which it occured..It alomost felt calculated to be in a way which would cause the club to suffer the most..

Clearly it wasn't, of course...there are two sides in any negotiation and the only reason it took so long was because Real kept insisting the price was a bag of crisps and 2 Mas bars.

But much of the anger and sadness I feel about this is also very personal; we all knew he wasnt shite..he wasn't as good as he was when he fist came, but he was never shite...we now know what shite truly is..

The point is when you're not playing well you pull up your socks and play yourself into form, which he did..and then some.

He was superb in his last season with us; he had rammed Rafa's (and some of ours) words down our collective throats...lesson learnt, I felt...He also came to Thailand and Singapore and saw thousands of screaming fans all chanting for him...pleading with him to forget that while he was badly treated; to remember that he was playing for the club and not Rafa.

And for the briefest of moments, we thought he would stay..but he didn't.

I guess he couldn't get past what had happened, and he had every right to that.

But please don't now come and bemoan our misfortune; please don't worry or feel sad about the club..

He couldnt get past what Rafa had done, fine.

But he was playing for us, not him..

Personally, I feel he doesnt really care one way or the other..he was probably just trying to eep a neutral tone and move on.

 

[LadyRed]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=36976.msg983381#msg983381 date=1257733363]
Is one of the best Xabi posts I've read.

And it feels as if I've read millions.
[/quote]

Cut me deep, Squiggs.

 

[dee]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=36976.msg981322#msg981322 date=1257540802]
I don't agree that the delay in the deal was because of Alonso.

Two parties are involved in the negotiations, Liverpool and Madrid. The deal could have been done regardless of whether Xabi handed in a transfer request or not.

The news broke very early about Xabi to be sold last summer, the reason he wasn't sold quickly was because we hadn't been offered what we wanted for him.
[/quote]

I was under the impression that when a player places a transfer request they forfeit any right to contract compensation. Hence the overall trade improves for the seller.