Is Alonso the new Redknapp

Is Alonso the new Redknapp?  Everybody likes him and he plays attractive football, but doesn't give a great deal to the team.  He has only scored 4 times this year and had about the same amount of assists.  He's also not great at tackling. 

Personally if we are offered over £15 million, I would be waving goodbye.

I agree! Been saying this for a few months now, that if we get a big money offer in we could use the £15m or £20m towards two players (or half of Samuel Et'o's fee )

I agree that he's not had the best of seasons but he's still class.  I really don't see the point in selling him because you'd just have to pay the exact same money back out for a replacement.  After 3 years he knows Stevies game and understands the system.  He also has a great footballing brain and is a very young man.  I would like to see him get a few more goals, we all know he has the ability, but he is in the midfield to do a certain job which he does very well.  The addition of goals from the flanks and the strikers next year would mean you wouldn't need a lot of goals from Alonso or Mascherano of that matter.  The guy can only improve and it would be a huge mistake to sell him in my opinion. 

Alonso may not get many direct assists but thats because he's a deep lying playmaker but he is involved in the build up play in many movements also last year according to actim stats he was the premierships top tackler.

Alonso seems also to play more as a holding role,generally breaking things down and stopping the opposition than getting forward,think maybe this is Rafa's idea ..what do say?

i really like alonso, especially for his great passes...but i think his amout of unnecessary fouls and yellow cards should definitely be reduced...

I really like alonso, especially for his great passes...but I think his amout of unnecessary fouls and yellow cards should definitely be reduced...

I think he could pick up most of his yellow cards because he has been asked to break up the other teams attacks,so he picks up more than his fair share of cards

I'll admit that Xabi has had a quiet season but to sell him would be a mistake. He has only scored 4 goals because Rafa has got him doing a specific role for the team i.e. holding midfield. How many goals does Makelele, Hargreaves, Gattuso score for their respective clubs? A player playing in this role will never score alot of goals or get many direct assists but is just as important in breaking up play and starting new attacks. If we sold him it would cost just as much or more to find a replacement and now is not the time to be selling our best players. We need to sell the fringe players and replace them with top quality players to give us the squad needed to win the league. Xabi should only be sold if his heart is not with the club anymore and I don't think that is the case at the minute.

I think Alonso is a quality player but now weve got Mascherano i dont think wed miss him that much if he was to leave it would benefit Gerrard playing in the middle if he went.

I am not a big fan and have read the posts.  I ask you all.

Can we afford to carry somebody who is just having a quiet season? 

If he is being played as a holding midfielder, are there better suited players, i.e mascherano, sissoko?

I really like alonso, especially for his great passes...but I think his amout of unnecessary fouls and yellow cards should definitely be reduced...

I love Xabi in a red shirt, would never want to get rid of him but like you Lea, I was thinking about the fouls he commits too. Especially the one against Kaka that set up their free kick for their 1st goal ... I was cursing him at the time and I just knew they would score because that's our luck....do all the attacking, they take it up prety much once and score. 

Did any one else notice that when he was just outside the box about to tee up his shot that at 1st he went to hit it with a straight boot, then he quickly changed his mind to sidefoot it.....wish he had of gone with his 1st instinct because that would have burst the net......(hindsight, it's a wonderful thing isn't it )

i personally think we can do with out alonso and if we can use him to get eto'o then all the better, why not its goals and attaking players we need

I'll admit that Xabi has had a quiet season but to sell him would be a mistake. He has only scored 4 goals because Rafa has got him doing a specific role for the team I.e. holding midfield. How many goals does Makelele, Hargreaves, Gattuso score for their respective clubs? A player playing in this role will never score alot of goals or get many direct assists but is just as important in breaking up play and starting new attacks. If we sold him it would cost just as much or more to find a replacement and now is not the time to be selling our best players. We need to sell the fringe players and replace them with top quality players to give us the squad needed to win the league. Xabi should only be sold if his heart is not with the club anymore and I don't think that is the case at the minute.

I think that is a very good point, he is an holdong middlefield player and you are absolutly right to remind everybody this, he is not to score goals. His commitment to the club is superb and it gives so many more options to have him in the squad. He is one of our top players and we are not selling them.

I'll admit that Xabi has had a quiet season but to sell him would be a mistake. He has only scored 4 goals because Rafa has got him doing a specific role for the team i.e. holding midfield. How many goals does Makelele, Hargreaves, Gattuso score for their respective clubs? A player playing in this role will never score alot of goals or get many direct assists but is just as important in breaking up play and starting new attacks. If we sold him it would cost just as much or more to find a replacement and now is not the time to be selling our best players. We need to sell the fringe players and replace them with top quality players to give us the squad needed to win the league. Xabi should only be sold if his heart is not with the club anymore and I don't think that is the case at the minute.

100% agree.

He has had one of the most quiet seasons up to date in a Liverpool shirt, but I don't think he has done so badly that we should shift him out of the club.

Maybe all this money and prospects from Hicks and Gillett have made everybody's heads go a little soft.

Come on lads/girls, let not start slating one of our top players!!

Read in the Mirror today that he may be part of the deal for Sammy Eto 

I think maybe you should be more concerned about the possibility of Xabi wanting to leave rather than us selling him, as far as I know he hasn't signed a new contract yet and he is constantly being linked with a move away, Rafa has also already strengthened midfield with the signing of Lucas and although he is a more attacking type of midfielder I would have to ask myself who is on the way out?

I can't believe some people want to see Alonso go. Ok he hasn't had the best of seasons by his standards, but then again a lot of our players haven't. For me the fact we have Mascherano isn't a reason to sell Alonso, I believe he was signed to enable us to play a 4-2-3-1 formation which requires two holding midfielders and is a very good option against top attacking teams. Someone on here has suggested Sissoko as a holding midfielder, this is not the role he plays for us. He is a destructive midfielder who plays a lot higher up the pitch, winning the ball in dangerous areas, he doesn't sit in front of the back four to offer protection and I don't believe he currently has the discipline to play this role.

This thread was started by a poster who believes Alonso offers little to the team, I would have to wholeheartedly disagree with this. I would say he's the most intelligent player in our squad, and one of the best technically. He can read the game beautifully & snuffs out danger before it occurs, which can sometimes give the impression that he hasn't done anything. Many times during matches I notice him shielding a player so a pass can't be played, and the ball ends up going to a player ripe for a tackle. In these situations the majority will give credit to the player who made the tackle, but the opportunity to tackle was given by Alonso, a detail that goes unnoticed. Another occasion I notice Alonso using his intelligence is when he plays alongside Sissoko. I think we can all agree that Sissoko is probably the worst passer of the ball in our squad, Alonso recognises this too and nine times out of ten when Sissoko's won the ball you'll see Xabi positioned for an easy pass so possession isn't wasted. Even Gerrard doesn't seem able to do this when partnered with Sissoko, and it takes brilliant reading of the play to be able to do it.

I'm sure there are more examples of Alonso's intelligence, I don't proffess to catch every detail of a game, but these are two that I've noticed which I don't think everyone realises. Most of the time he's not a flashy player but he puts in a lot of good work tactically & position wise that he doesn't get the praise for. He hasn't had a good season by his standards but then neither has Gerrard, and I don't see any topics suggesting we sell him. If he has to go to get Eto'o then so be it, but I'd be a lot happier if he stayed.

Agree with you Eddie, he's the class we want.  I said in my previous post that he had a good footballing brain and you're right in that he probably is the best at the club in this sense, along with Carra maybe.  If he wants to leave then it should definetly be as a makeweight it a deal for a top striker.  I hope he stays but if he doesn't sign an extension then he should be sold this summer with 2 years on his contract.  I understand that the Lucas deal has probably brought about discussion about the cental midfield four and because JM has impressed so much everyone tends to be looking at Alonso and Sissoko, but i think if it came down to choice between the two then sissoko would have to be the one to go, as much as i like him.  All said and done though i don't think that Rafa would be happy about letting him go and it would have to be because Alonso wants to go back to Spain

I dont think we shud get rid of Alonso we need him he is a holding midfield who take the ball from the defenders and distributes the ball to our wide men,we dont have anyone else who can do the same.But we have a problem because i think we need Masch to break up opposition play.So what do we do play Masch and Alonso and play Gerrard out of position on the right or behind the striker where he is not as influential as if he played centre mid.

Alonso didn't do it so bad

I don't want to see Alonso go, he does a lot of work deep in midfiled. He breaks up the play and because it's not glamourus and headline catching people seem to miss it. He wold be sorely missed if he left. We might have other similar players but we want strength in depth to go for as much silver ware as possible and prepare for any injuries.

he is a great player but if the right offer comes in we can afford to lose him. Mascherano is better if you give him the chance, momo can cover and the new brazilian is havin lots of potential! maybe a few games under his belt might make him great!

Cheers YNWA

It was only a week or so ago, I read reports that Xabi was being linked to Barca in a deal for Eto. Now I see he's just signed a new contract.  So how wrong was that report ? I hope just as wrong as the latest few...... Malouda going to Chelski, Eto off to the Arse, and Rafa with little or no funds.  Can't someone at the club give us some idea of whats going on officially so I can sleep at night?