The lack of creativity from our engine room.

Watching Alonso tonight taking the piss out of Spurs was a reminder of the lack of creativity we currently have. Loads of forward passing. Hardly any square balls.

I miss him. Sigh.

There's an old saying that goes, "You don't know what you had until you lose it."

I think it's fair to say we all knew what we had before he was moved on. From a footballing perspective Alonso is the most single biggest reason we started to decline on the pitch. The word 'creativity' wouldn't even be floating around so prevalently either mate.

I remember the pre season when we lost him. Seeing the team struggle then he came on and we opened teams up with ease. A lynch pin we never replaced. Was key to us in 08/09. Should have built a team around him. Instead we didn't even manage to replace him adequatly

Watching Alonso tonight taking the piss out of Spurs was a reminder of the lack of creativity we currently have. Loads of forward passing. Hardly any square balls.

I miss him. Sigh.

Was just about to post about this Kenny.

I had a feeling when there was new posts in here it would be about Alonso and he was excellent tonight and as well as his forward passing he was always moving to receive the ball. Almost every pass he gave he was then moving into space to make himself available for the ball.

Miss him badly!

Big miss for sure

Something like 85% pass completion rate tonight. Now that's not just a figure used to say oh what a good passer of the ball he is, but it's effective passing too. What a passer.

There's not a single player out there who can do what Xabi does as well as him. He made more forward passes then Lucas has all season. We need to get a midfielder in to do that. I for one don't believe Aquliani is the man to do it.

Why did Rafa try to get rid of Xabi? Must be his biggest mistake at Liverpool

Something like 85% pass completion rate tonight. Now that's not just a figure used to say oh what a good passer of the ball he is, but it's effective passing too. What a passer.

He sees the pass so quickly as well mate.

I know we have seen Xabi's quality but it did make me sorry that he is not still here after watching him tonight.

He sees the pass so quickly as well mate.

I know we have seen Xabi's quality but it did make me sorry that he is not still here after watching him tonight.

Apologies for going off topic but I really do hate the way many people, mainly other teams suuporters, go about Alonso to put down Rafa, saying how we tried to sell him..etc. But he was also smart enough to buy him and base our play around him.

His cross field diagonal balls would are the type that Carroll would crave on.

How are we putting down Rafa if we just say that he tried to sell him. Its not putting him down it's just stating the truth. I'm sure if he could turn back the clock he would of not tried to have offloaded him and perhaps things would be a lot different.

He's an incredible player and we were lucky to have him. We need to find another player like Alonso, although that's like finding a needle in a hay stack.

Losing Alonso did really lose our main source of creativity.

No no, not in this thread, but in general, it has been said a lot.

To be fair, Rafa tried offloading him before his last season with us where Xabi really proved how amazing he's capable. He was good in the years before but no where near the player he was then and is now.

Charlie Adam

League Season Stats (2010/2011)

GAMES  27
GOALS   9
ASSISTS 6

Alberto Aquilani

League Season Stats (2010/2011)

GAMES  26
GOALS   2
ASSISTS 3

Impressive stats from Adam and I know theres a lot of shouts to get AA back in the summer so these two are our most realistic options IMO!

As Corbally said, the midfield is by far the most important area of the pitch where the majority of games are won or lost.

How many penalties mate? or how many of them have been from open play. And the assists how many of them have been from set pieces? Just asking this question because Blackpool have scored the second highest goals from setpieces behind chelsea. I thing looking at his goals is impressive but we should not forget how they were scored. Of course Adam is a better player than spearing and i wouldn't mind him at all but to compare him with the class and swagger that aqualani has is perhaps too farfetched.

And yet people still say no to Aquilani.

Did i hear correctly...?? No Gerrard for the rest of the season???

Did I hear correctly...?? No Gerrard for the rest of the season???

Pretty much. At this rate Kenny will be back on the pitch by the end of April...

That's the only thing I 'blame' Rafa for - Xabi Alonso's departure but what's done is done. We just haven't replace him.

Gerrard out for rest of season, F**k me.

That's the only thing I 'blame' Rafa for - Xabi Alonso's departure but what's done is done. We just haven't replace him.

Can we get over this myth it was Rafa's fault? Alonso said it wasn't Rafa who made him leave, it was the lure of playing for Madrid.

Yeah, Kenny's confirmed it.

So we have Agger and Gerrard out for the season.

Can we get over this myth it was Rafa's fault? Alonso said it wasn't Rafa who made him leave, it was the lure of playing for Madrid.

I know That's why I put 'blame' rather than just blame.