Rafa making Alberto wait

Rafa Benitez has urged Alberto Aquilani to bide his time as he looks to make an impact in English football after returning to full training. 
The Italy international has yet to start for Liverpool since his summer move from Roma thanks to an ankle injury sustained last March.
 
With two cameo appearances under his belt, Aquilani is getting nearer to being part of Benitez's starting XI - but the gaffer intends to proceed with caution.
 
"Alberto wants to play for us and he is so desperate to be involved as quickly as he can but he understands the reasons he cannot start yet," said Benitez.
 
"He wants to keep improving his condition and now it is just a matter of him keeping calm as it won't be long before he is there. He is pushing us all the time.
 
"He is very positive and wants to help the team now but you must remember that we have a responsibility to him and we will not take any risks at this stage.
 
"We have got to keep analysing the situation and watching him in every training session but we know that the right time is nearly here. He has a very good mentality."
 
Two substitute appearances have illustrated Aquilani's undoubted ability - and Benitez is delighted with what he is witnessing in training.
 
"You can see in everything he does that he has got quality," said Benitez. "He knows when to pass at the right time and to the right players, he makes good decisions on the pitch.
 
"Alberto is training really well and he is doing extra work to make sure he is in the best possible condition. I spoke with him in the gym yesterday and he is very positive, his spirits are good.
 
"We have meetings every day with our medical staff to see how much we can keep pushing him and when the time is right to increase the levels of his work.
 
"He is a player who can pass the ball and we have seen that in the games he has played so far, even though he has not had too much time."

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N166507091119-1107.htm

The care taken with Aquilani just goes to show how importent hes gonna be! Glad to see him finally at full fitness.

Hopefully, he can provide the creativity that Xabi used to. Then Masch can focus on covering the back 4.

Bet rafa starts him on saturday!

Bet rafa starts him on saturday!

He better F***ing had.

We didn't pay £17 million for nothing.

He needs a good hours football under his belt does Aquilani, not only for himself but to give the lads that little extra boost we need to get ourselves out of this run of poor form.

Jesus I want to see him play properly! Hope to see him start against City, but only if he's ready of course, which by the sounds of things, he isn't.

Said in The Echo today that he'd probably come off the bench.

Don't think he's quite ready yet, but F**k me, I can not wait to see this lad at full fitness.

From that article i am less confident of him starting against City. Though reckon he might the following week.

The derby could be his first start then?

It's like the guy's chomping at the bit, with Rafa holding the reigns, Rafa sure is careful when it comes to new players. If this had been the start of the season he would have been thrown strait in, most players now in the prem have 10 games or more under their belt, he'll get more time this weekend, I expect him to come on after 60 Min's.

The derby could be his first start then?

Sticking my neck out a bit, but I don't think Rafa will start him in that one either, because he would run the risk of beng kicked to bits by those blue tw*ts. :

Maybe the one after?

He probably won't start a game this year :

Will he ever start a game?

Sticking my neck out a bit, but I don't think Rafa will start him in that one either, because he would run the risk of beng kicked to bits by those blue tw*ts. :

Maybe the one after?

As you say ayrton the sh*te would kick lumps out the lad, Rafa has the job of deciding when it is best to field the lad he has got to weigh up the opposition,the conditions and most of all the players fitness level as well as 100 other factors we are not aware of. The solution to the Aquilano question as before is in the very capable hands of the manager who as we know is well qualified to make the correct decision on his first full appearence.

What little we've seen of him,looks class with a capital C,hope he gets on from about 60mins for a descent run out.

Rafa knows best when he will be ready,maybe he was getting rushed back all the time at Roma and that is why he has had so many injuries he was never given the time to fully recover.

Hope to see him play at least half an hour against City, and hopefully the same against the Blueshite. He should be ready to get his first start after that.

Rafa knows best when he will be ready,maybe he was getting rushed back all the time at Roma and that is why he has had so many injuries he was never given the time to fully recover.

Totally agree Bri.

Rafa knows the score. And I'm sure we all know he can't be rushed back. Just progressively bring him and when things get tough around the Christmas period, we should start seeing the best of him.

Putting the ball in the net and defending are our main concerns for now.

I'd like to  think we'll see something of him tomorrow, probably about the last 15 mins, I hope so anyway, and I bet he's dying to get some footy under his belt.

But we must be patient, the worse thing that could happen is he comes back and does too much too young soon 

So I'm guessing the surgery to make his eyes a bit more naturally further apart than they were was a success and he's raring to go now eh?

I'd like to see him have 20 or 25 minutes with us 2-0 up when he comes on and no pressure like.

Hope N'Gog wears his long socks.

Start him vs Debrecen, shouldn't be a tall order

So I'm guessing the surgery to make his eyes a bit more naturally further apart than they were was a success and he's raring to go now eh?

Oh Gow, you're such a bi*ch