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Liverpool Thread

Re: Liverpool Thread

Indeed. Not sure he's ready to step up to the first team just yet, Ngog looks far more composed, but hopefully Nemeth will keep improving and come on as a sub now and then :)
 
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One thing to take from this match. Kuyt looks like his raring to go this season.

I predict another 15goals and quite a few assists
 
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hmm doubt he'll get that yet for Real. Personally I think Kuyt will get it, unless we sign a big name.
 
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Had a huge smile on my face when Kuyt was given the armband. No player deserves it more. You'd think Xabi or Masch had a case, but not after this summer. Kuyt's Liverpool through and through. And he was absolutely immense.
 
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OMG ROBOT ARABS!!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!!

Is the first goal Voronin? I didn't know he was back at Liverpool.
 
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Aparently Xabi Alonso es going to live for 30m E and Aquilani is going to replace him.
Dont surprise since Xabi wants to go and the 1st team of Real Madrid is playing awful.
 
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Yeah, but sounds like Real are making one last attempt to get him cheaper. W@nkers, strange how only a couple of days ago Xabi was the only option available for them and now he's too much....Either way I hope they get drawn an English side in the CL and get their arses handed to them.......again.

Looks very much like both Arby and Dossena are off. Tbh I think it's a shame both are going, but I can understand it with Arby on his final year of his contract. I guess Dossena just hasn't shown enough in training to look like he is gonna improve enough. One of my worries about Xabi and replacing him with an injury-prone italian, if he can't stay fit in serieA how the hell is he gonna manage in the prem.
 
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Im excited about getting Aquilani, his long shoot may be the key to open some tough matches, he is young (3 years younger that Xabi), has quality and potential. The only thing that worries me is his phisical condition. Without taking account last season, was he a player with so many injuries ?
This video is excellent:
YouTube - Alberto Aquilani
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

He's been pretty solid everytime I've seen him play in the CL (don't watch Serie A much). Would be a decent signing, but not at the expense of Alonso. I think Rafa's hardball will pay off, and Madrid will back down - but that it will just prolong the inevitable :(

Dirty f*cking francos.
 
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Didn't realise the Voronator played for Rome aswell. You can see him jumping on the back, hmmmm...... for the 2nd goal. That should help him settle if he does join.
 
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TikTikTikTikTik said:
Didn't realise the Voronator played for Rome aswell. You can see him jumping on the back, hmmmm...... for the 2nd goal. That should help him settle if he does join.
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u probably confused voronin with cufre mate... voronin never played in roma ;)

however guys, seriously, i really don't think theese would be money well spent.

i'm not arguing with aquilani's skill, that would be ridiculous... ask any serie a follower about aquilani... u will get always the same reaction..."aquilani!...Wow!".

and at less than 20 millions euros, it would also be a bargain. just to put things in perspective and to give those who don't know the kid an idea about how good he actually is.... if i had to choose one between snejder, hamsik and a fit aquilani... i would pick alberto with no hesitations....
the thing is, his fragility became quite an issue in the last 3 years... and that is why he doesn't cost 30 millions euros (last season real madrid offered 50 or 60 millions plus 1 player... can't remember who right now.... to get both aquilani and de rossi, and yet those days 50\60 millions weren't enough to get them).

plus, and that's the main point, he couldn't play xabi's role... that would be like asking iniesta, or hamsik or sneider to play as deep lying playmakers... it just couldn't work. u could even line him up in that spot... but he will always tend to push foward, coz that's his nature.
alberto's main feature (even more important than his shot) is his "killer pass"... he has a terrific first touch passing game. and that's what makes him special... even more than his technique, his dribbling ability or his shooting ability (wich are quite remarkable too). but to take advantage of his skills u got to line him up in his natural position, wich is not the xabi's position.
take a look at this video; it will give u an idea of wich is the position of alberto on the pitch (alberto is the one performing that sweet first touch rabona, btw )
YouTube - milan roma 1-2 rabona aquilani totti
u see where's his position? u already have a player in that position....and no matter how good alberto is, he could never take gerrard's spot in liverpool.

so long story short.... his game is different from xabi alonso, so u can't expect him to take xabi's place as liverpool "orchestra director".
his role is gerrard's role.... wich means he couldn't be nothing but a backup in liverpool.
but he's way too good to be a backup... even in a top club like liverpool, aquilani is nothing short than starting formation material. :))

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TikTikTikTikTik said:
One of my worries about Xabi and replacing him with an injury-prone italian, if he can't stay fit in serieA how the hell is he gonna manage in the prem.
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your concern about aquilani's fragility is pretty understandable, but i can't say the same about the serie a\premiership point.
u see in england the players have to play many, many more matches than the serie a players... u have 2 domestic cups, u have the replays, the players have almost no xmas holydays.

now more matches to play = less heavy training schedule. serie a teams training sessions are infact heavier than their epl counterparts.

however i don't think this matters in aquilani's case. infact aquilani's injuries weren't due to stamina or fatigue related issues... they all came from specific traumas. wich means that no matter how intense (or soft) the training is, the main risk factor for aquilani's injuries are the matches themselves. :))
 
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See they got Dudek (find that seat okay, Jerzy?) saying Alonso wants to play for RM as all Spanish players do. Nice one Jerzy. Unbelievably low from the RM heirarchy. Oh well, it's all business these days anyway.
 
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@ Lo Zio, I was joking about the \/oronator :D

But don't you think the tackling is harder and more intense in the prem/english leagues? Can't say I watch the serieA so I could be wrong, but I never really remember players sliding in all over the show as some games do over here. As for training, I would agree, I remember Ballack complaining that everyone just started kicking the ball about at Chelsea whilst at Bayern he was used to having atleast 2 weeks intense fitness training before kicking a ball.

We will have to see whether it all happens anyway......
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Xabi has to stay. Fucking stupid if we let him go. If someone like Aquilani does come, I can see Gerrard and Mascherano dropping deeper, and our focal point shifting forward. Probably means Mascherano will play the deepest of our midfielder (which he does for Argentina), and you'd have Gerrard and Aquilani ahead of them. As I said, if something like this works, it will be better than our previous midfield (and Lucas would fit to a tee), but that's the thing. It's a huge risk trying to change our system, when we're so close to being a winning team.

I mean, yeh, it might work very well, especially since we have Agger, who's got the passing range of any top class playmaker. But it demands a change in the system, and I'm not sure about that. It does work for Barcelona, but I'm not sure it will work for us.

Hope we keep Xabi, it just makes things so much easier.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

TikTikTikTikTik said:
@ Lo Zio, I was joking about the \/oronator :D
Click to expand...

ouch, my bad mate :D

But don't you think the tackling is harder and more intense in the prem/english leagues?
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the pressing is a lot more intense in england. as for the tackles, they are usually less accurate, hence more dangerous for a fragile player like aquilani seems to be.

all in all it's a pretty balanced situation. in italy tackles are usually pretty well timed, but the training session are very heavy, wich means u're more likely to hurt yourself on the training ground.
in england instead, the fitness training sessions are less heavy (and they have to be like that, given the enourmous amoung of matches epl players have to face), but the "contact" is a lot harder during the games.

i remember that silly rant from ballack. it was silly because the fitness training schedule is heavily effected by the gaming schedule. as i said earlier, epl players face more matches than anybody else in europe....
italy's situation is slightly better as we have just 1 domestic cup, with no replays (but still a 20 teams league).
in germany instead the situation is completely different. while epl players play more than anybody else, bundesliga players play less matches than anybody else. infact they too (as we italians) have just 1 domestic cup with no replays... but they also have an 18 teams league, wich means just 34 league matches per season!

the winter pause is the best example. in the epl there's almost no holyday..... in italy we have a full 2 weeks holyday (december's last week and jannuary's first week).... while in germany they have 1 entire month without football.
in theese conditions u have to set up a heavy fitness training schedule, in order to keep the players fit.

in england instead that wouldn't be possible as the epl teams schedule is much more intense. a tough training session schedule would let the injuries ammount reach the sky. :))

abhishek said:
If someone like Aquilani does come, I can see Gerrard and Mascherano dropping deeper, and our focal point shifting forward. Probably means Mascherano will play the deepest of our midfielder (which he does for Argentina), and you'd have Gerrard and Aquilani ahead of them
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yep, but i'm afraid aquilani and gerrard would just keep "stealing" each others some vital space.
i definitely agree with u. keeping xabi in liverpool would be the best call.:))
 
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Re: Liverpool Thread

lo zio said:
yep, but i'm afraid aquilani and gerrard would just keep "stealing" each others some vital space.
i definitely agree with u. keeping xabi in liverpool would be the best call.:))
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Yeh. I mean, it could potentially work, if Rafa was able to teach both of them how to play in such a system. But it's a huge risk. And teaching a new tactical system will take time. I do think we have the tools for such a system, but there's no guarantee it will work.

For a 4-2-3-1, we just have to buy a playmaker if Xabi leaves. Our play revolves around him receiving the ball and giving it to the '3'.

Guess that's why Rafa wanted Barry as well. To play a similar system. Let's see what happens. In my heart, I really think he will stay, but you got to trust Rafa.
 
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:DD Exactly, Aquilani just wouldn't work in my opinion and the amount of playmakers like Alonso are extremely rare these days.
 
Re: Liverpool Thread

Abhishek said:
Yeh. I mean, it could potentially work, if Rafa was able to teach both of them how to play in such a system. But it's a huge risk. And teaching a new tactical system will take time. I do think we have the tools for such a system, but there's no guarantee it will work.

For a 4-2-3-1, we just have to buy a playmaker if Xabi leaves. Our play revolves around him receiving the ball and giving it to the '3'.

Guess that's why Rafa wanted Barry as well. To play a similar system. Let's see what happens. In my heart, I really think he will stay, but you got to trust Rafa.
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And how many players are on the world that can perform well in Xabi´s role ? We have to trust in Rafa, he´s a guy that isnt wrong often and if he wants Aquilani, then Aquilani would be the best option.
About keeping Xabi Alonso, of course it would be the best option but I dont see it possible. If he wants to go, he is going to go and the sooner he leaves, the better.
 
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