Alberto Aquilani (Mystery Italian Club)

As JD said a few pages back, the reaction to this will be interesting. Rafa was hung out to dry over this, but some deem it okay because it's Roy - especially the media.

F**k this. We need him. Cole and Gerrard out, who is left? Unless Roy plans Maxi to play there. But then if Kuyt is out as well? And let's face it, he plays or Holland every game so he has a big chance of being out some games. Is he prepared to play a youngster?

This is a massive gamble and Juve must be wondering if this is a prank because they've had a brilliant deal in this. Lose Poulsen and get Aquilani.

I agree with most of you, especially crouchinho. Our reserves don't offer much in the central midfield department do they? I mean I know Jonjo was signed but he can't be ready for action this season. Pacheco isn't really a central midfielder either is he? I just don't see the point in just loaning someone out because he isn't always in the first team at this point in time. I thought he played pretty damn well towards the end of last season too. I just don't get it!

Absolutely baffling decision to let him go out on loan it's not like we're blessed with a vast amount of creative talent in our squad.

ARGH! Really unimpressed with this.

We now have just Gerrard to play as a creative central midfielder.

What did he do last season to justify him staying on? £18 million for a player who was injured up until November. Then following that he only made 9 starts in which he made no impression. Yes people say when we started him we won games more comfortably (which was a rarity for last season) but that's the result you always get when you replace an attacking minded player in place of a defensive player like Lucas. Sorry but the moment Joe Cole walked into Liverpool this was coming. And I'd much rather have Joe Cole playing with Gerrard and Masch behind him, leaving Aquilani on the bench. Play Aquilani and one of those players is dropped. And for an £18 million rated player - that's the last place you'd want to be. Aquilani came to Liverpool as a first eleven player. Not as an impact sub. Roy made the correct call in my view.

I'm sorry FMS but after reading your post through a few times, I'm still confused.

* ". ...a player who was injured up until November. Then following that he only made 9 starts in which he made no impression. ...when we started him we won games more comfortably (which was a rarity for last season) "

You'll have to explain that one to me. So he made "no impression" except for  the fact that "when we started him" we "won more games comfortably". What?

* ". ..but that's the result you always get when you replace an attacking minded player in place of a defensive player like Lucas"

What are you saying here? We shouldn't be wanting to win comfortably because we would have to drop a defensive midfielder to do so? Eh?

* "Sorry but the moment Joe Cole walked into Liverpool this was coming."

The subsequent events would seem to give testimony to that FMS but why should that have been the case? Are you really suggesting that at Liverpool we have no room, in a long hard season, for more than one creative mid-fielder?

* "£18 million for a player who was injured up until November."

Alberto, like Cole, was indeed injured for a big part of last season. So maybe it's just his price tag that's the problem? We may be getting somewhere here. When Juve pay us 15m Euros for Alberto, next season, he will have only cost us 5m in total. It seem that, when push comes to shove, our board decide who plays for us based on finance rather than footballing ability.

After all i'm sure Roy, a man renowned for his coaching/management abilities (Manager of the year) and his man management abilities (which Rafa lacked, we're told), who said this about Alberto; "There has never been any question about Alberto's talents," . ..."It is obvious for all to see that he is a gifted footballer": could very easily accommodated him in a long season that demands rotation. In fact I have no doubt that Roy, given the chance, would have loved him to stay.

The decision to get rid of Alberto wasn't down to any footballing reasons; just money. The board made this call - Roy just does what he's told.

For any one stating this was all about money.

We have already paid €15 million to AS Roma, with another €5 million due to be paid next June ... We will pay at least €20 million for Aquilani, no matter what happens with him in the future ...

The 20 million EURO transfer fee is broken up into the following:

- 5 million EURO upfront
- 3 million EURO by 4th January 2010
- 7 million EURO by June 30th 2010
- 5 million EURO by June 30th 2011.

Further Add ons include:

- 300,000 EURO for every year Liverpool qualify for the Champions League from 2010/11 to 2014/15

- 250,000 EURO everytime the player reaches 35 appearances, 70 appearances, 105 appearances and then 140 appearances.

- 1 million EURO the first time Liverpool either wins the Premier League or Champions League by 30 June 2014.

- 5% of any future transfer fee will be paid to Roma.

Details can be found here (for those fluent in Italian) - http://www.asroma.it/UserFiles/988.pdf

Dont understand why everyones getting so upset with. There were games last season when he played and you wouldnt even think he was on the pitch. I can understand peoples view that we need depth in our squad but the transfer window aint shut yet so maybe roy will bring in a player of the same quality on much smaller wages. I reckon we have enough quality in our squad. We have young lads only dying to impress. We get him back at the end of the season and he could be miles better and over any injuries he might have.

Dont understand why everyones getting so upset with. There were games last season when he played and you wouldnt even think he was on the pitch. I can understand peoples view that we need depth in our squad but the transfer window aint shut yet so maybe roy will bring in a player of the same quality on much smaller wages. I reckon we have enough quality in our squad. We have young lads only dying to impress. We get him back at the end of the season and he could be miles better and over any injuries he might have.

Ok mate so I'll ask the question, your 1-0 down at anfield theres 30 minutes to go, you look at the bench for a game changer a man who can unlock a stubborn defense, you see Poulsen and Lucas staring back at you what do you do ?

I see Pacheco, i see Babel, Maxi. But like i said, the window isnt closed yet. Anyway can you honestly say that you saw enough of Alberto to think he is the man to do so.

For any one stating this was all about money.

We have already paid €15 million to AS Roma, with another €5 million due to be paid next June ... We will pay at least €20 million for Aquilani, no matter what happens with him in the future ...

The 20 million EURO transfer fee is broken up into the following:

- 5 million EURO upfront
- 3 million EURO by 4th January 2010
- 7 million EURO by June 30th 2010
- 5 million EURO by June 30th 2011.

Further Add ons include:

- 300,000 EURO for every year Liverpool qualify for the Champions League from 2010/11 to 2014/15

- 250,000 EURO everytime the player reaches 35 appearances, 70 appearances, 105 appearances and then 140 appearances.

- 1 million EURO the first time Liverpool either wins the Premier League or Champions League by 30 June 2014.

- 5% of any future transfer fee will be paid to Roma.

Details can be found here (for those fluent in Italian) - http://www.asroma.it/UserFiles/988.pdf

Understood. Again.

Locked.