The recent influx of new faces at Liverpool this summer has simultaneously served to reignite optimism amongst the club’s fans and place doubts over the futures of several members of the playing personnel.
Among the players rumoured to have the Anfield axe hanging above his head is forgotten man Alberto Aquilani. Aquilani, a marquee signing two summers ago, has returned to Merseyside after Juventus failed to stump up the fee needed to turn his loan deal into a permanent one.
The player’s agent Franco Zavaglia has dampened speculation that his client will be the next player to follow Paul Konchesky out of the club. Speaking to milannews.it, he said: “The possibility of seeing Alberto back in the Italian championship is very small at the moment. At the moment I believe Aquilani will be wearing the Liverpool shirt next season.”
The former Roma man featured in both of Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies last week, and turned in a particularly noteworthy performance in the second half of the side’s 6-3 win over a Malaysian All-Star XI on Saturday. Indeed his display was deemed to be so impressive that it prompted a complimentary tweet from club owner John W. Henry, who said: “One missing link last year: Acquilani. Put the ball near Ngog and the goal and it’s going in. Too much talk of them somewhere else.”
Whilst pre-season friendlies against vastly inferior opposition are seldom the barometer of a team or player’s quality, Aquilani’s contributions sought to reassure the club’s management of his undoubted ability and class. Many, including the player himself, will be hoping that these recent performances and Henry’s ringing endorsement will prove to be catalysts for a revival in his Anfield fortunes.
A successful transition to life in the Premier League is an accomplishment that has eluded some of the continent’s most distinguished footballers. The high-profile examples of Andriy Shevchenko and Juan Sebastián Verón illustrate how hard adapting to English football can be. Aquilani’s initial introduction to the Premier League was made even harder by several aggravating factors.
The midfielder arrived at Anfield carrying an injury, and may have forced his recovery in order to hasten his return to first-team action. Aquilani’s return from injury also coincided with a dismal run for the Reds, which included an ignominious early Champions League exit. Most tellingly, many erroneously saw Aquilani as a direct replacement for the much-loved and much-missed Xabi Alonso, despite earlier suggestions by then manager Rafa Benitez that the two were very different players.
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My word, give it up! Aqua will not play again for us. Where do you think he would fit in?? He has played ok against a Malaysia XI for petes sake! He did ok in a very average Italian league but still not well enough for anyone wanting him. He’s just not that good.
yes i hope so
man city want him
warren you are a moron simples!
Warren SShhh.
The man is pure class and has excellent technical ability in midfield which we missed last season. His simple one touch passes down to his long lobs are so precise. It would also be nice to have a second/third player in the team that can execute fancy flicks with such accuracy. He has that natural ability that will stretch and pierce opposing defences.
He would be in my starting 11 every week without fail.
Quality needs to be kept. Aqua is a keeper in my eyes. His final balls inside the last third were imense. Before watching the pre season games i thought get rid to reduce wage bill. But watching his displays so far changed my mind. Him adam gerard and kuyt with downing competong to in midfield would be top notch
If man city want him and they have the cash to buy anyone then obviously they think he is top class and I agree, wee need depth In mid field to compete so why sell any of our top mid fielders??.
Adam and Aqua in the middle would be the slowest, worst defensively and easiest to dominate midfield in the top ten teams. You people are clueless. How can you be brainwashed after seeing him do well in a pre season tour game! He will not get a game and struggle for a place on the bench. We are clearly putting him in the shop window. An Italian club will come in and get him for £8m tops.
@Warren
no one wanted to pay up for Alonso before he’s final season because prior to that he was always injured and out of form. No one would pay the 14million we were asking for him. Does that make Alonso a bad player?
Aqua is the most technically gifted player in Liverpool team for now. He brings entirely a different approach to our game.
No, that’s stupid. Alonso was and always has been a great player. Aquillani has not and never will be a great player. You don’t just become great at 26. Just give it up. He needs time on the ball. He gets it in Italy. He gets it in pre season games against Far Eastern select teams. He won’t get it in the Premiership.
By the way, we sold Alonso for £25m.
Guys and girls, y r we so quick to gun players wearin a liverpool shirt? We are not any other club, we are LIVERPOOL, whether a player performs badly or not, we should support him none the less, y? Cos every supporter is a parent and these players are our kids, we don’t just give up on our own kids when things go wrong, do we? So have faith and support them as best we can for its in our nature to know we a class above any other team due to our beautiful history, so, let’s rather support our boys as best we can and trust the King to decide who should stay or go…
Lets keep him he will be a great player for liverpool. He is definitely not for sale at any price. He is a qaulity player.
@warren.. the fact that you think Adam is superior to Aqau.. shows that you are the clueless one. Aqua is a class above Adam when healthy. A player of Adam’s quality would not even get a sniff on the Italian national team.. He is overhyped and overrated by the Brit press.. as are all Brit players come to think of it.
Aqua, if he can stay healthy, should get the spot every game!
Please show me where I have mentioned Adam?? I’ve not said a thing about him. I agree that he is overrated and I see him as a squad player. I do think that playing for Italy these days is nothing to write about. I would start the season with Lucas, Gerrard and Kuyt as a three with Suarez and Downing wide of Carroll.
Warren you total fuckwit read the article -“After enjoying a sustained run in the team towards the end of 2009/10, Aquilani actually ended the season with the best assists per minute rate of any player plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues,”
If you knew the slightest thing about football you would know that the man is class. The reason that no team has come in for him is that KK does not want to sell him.
He will bring a fast moving attacking game in a midfield that will be changed to suit the opposition.
So the best thing that you can do is carry on watching sky sports for all your footy information.
Warren is rubbish or plainly doesn’t recognize quality. He WILL play for us and WILL be a huge success! Suarez is going to love playing w this lad with aqua’s vision. Can’t wait for the season to begin. RedtilIdie.
Bazza, do you fancy him and his shiny locks you Queen. Who gives a shit about assist rates in Italy, no one wanted to buy him – Juve brought in a 36 year old to replace him. When King Kenny dumps him, don’t cry too much. You can watch Holyoaks for your man totty!
Greg
I agree. Adam is quality for sure but aqua is something a lil more. I believe under kenny Alberto will love playing here. He never got a real chance. I’m very pleased Roy only loaned him rather than sold, but he should have been here last year w us. Thank you rafa for swooping him when we did.
Aquilani is a attacking midfielder not a defensive one, he has the technique, vision and passing ability to link our attacking play. He will add quality and depth to our squad, like it or not he seems to be staying and if we are to get back into the top four we will need what he brings to the table at some point I’m sure. @ Warren, Juve tried to play hard ball it didn’t work, how successful they will be like us is yet to be seen. Are you homophobic or scared to come out of the closet? I can’t quiet work it out ” man totty”??!!?
Warren, what do you know about the italian national team and how much of aqua have you really seen? being italian i follow italian football every week, although not the best league it is by FAR the most technical and this is where aqua is different class compared to any other player that plays his position! Aquilani got a place back in the national side on merit and performances for Juve not because he is a house hold name like Totti/ Del Piero. should you lose a player of this class you would need 40million to replace him. You probably never heard of him before he joined us, he and daniel de rossi were the magic behind Totti at Roma. Aquilani will be a liverpool great given the chance. Seems like you have a short mermory, the handful of games he played for us, he was our best player. A must keep, he is worth every penny we paid for him, rafa will be proven right when he said we got him cheap.
I love Rafa and think that Aqua was one of his mistakes. Not homophobic just trying to wind up someone who called me a fuckwit. We shall see about Alberto. If you are right and I wrong, great, all good for the team. I really don’t think it will happen though.
Warren, I think it’s quite obvious that you’re an arse. The Aqua man is very much the classy player we all know he is. If you think back to the season before last, when called upon he applied himself well to our league. He has more pace then Stevie a better passing range then Lucas & Henderson & spearing and has an eye for goal. If I remember correctly he was dissapointed at not getting starts the back end of that season, but rafa was worried about playing him due to us not performing at that time.
We should give the kid another shot fuck the wage bill, if the yanks are happy to fork out why complain about having healthy competition for places.
I’m sorry but David N’Gog is rubbish! 19 goals from 90 odd games with most them goals coming against Europa fodder! How he has remained at our club is beyond reason. Most likely because nobody wants him. I hope he’s sold. The 5 clubs who finished above us all have strike options and this is an area we need improving. Competition for places is needed. I fear that if Suarez or Carroll get injured we are stuffed. As for Aqua, he should stay. Never understood why we signed him only to rehabilitate him after major surgery then send the lad packing without giving him the opportunity to settle which was afforded to players like Lucas, Maxi etc. Aqua will cherish playing for Kenny and we’ll all be rewarded with a quality international in our midfield.
warren you fucking cunt go slit your fuckimg throat you gay twat you are the fucking one who is clueless u seem to forget he was our best player when he had a run of games towards the end of his first season u complete cunt he is also much better than spearing lucas kuyt shelvey but im sure u would prefer them u fucking retard
should never have been loaned out last year. hope he stays coz only suarez is better in the supporting role. i think aqua would be better in our squad than miereles.
Calm down Warren-haters. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Im sure Warren loves LFC and wants only the best, like the rest of us.
Personally I feel Aqualani has a talent that suits Kennys pass&move one touch footy in a way that should not be underestimated. When he first came he showed similar vision to that which Xabi showed in his very early days which marked him out, and like Xabi Aqua always seemed to find space with his first touch. Thats vital. He could possibly think quicker and more offensively than Xabi too – his potemntial under Kenny now is very exciting, but it is indeed still only potential, albeit more suited potential now. Its up to him and how he’s handled from now on. Give the lad a chance. We need a deep squad. Dont think of 11. Think of 25. Think of a quality 25. Exciting!
I think Aquilani should stay. He was undoubtedly the best player on the Asian tour. Ngog will never be first team material but he is a quality backup who can still improve, he has scored against Man U and Arsenal. I wish we had never bought Henderson or Adam because the truth is we don’t need them with Gerrard Aquilani Meireles Shelvey Lucas and Spearing. We could have bought another winger or another CB or LB, I worry that too many midfielders will cause problems with good players not getting the time they deserve on the field which is bound to happen. Id like a 4-1-3-2 formation with Lucas; Aquilani Gerrard Downing; Suarez Caroll
Oh and Joe Cole can fuck off. He offers nothing to the team but unwanted competition for his large wages. Anyone who wants him in our team is retarded
As well as Poulsen, we needed to sell 2 CM’s not buy 2 in Adam and Henderson. Spearing Shelvey Meireles is more than adequate cover
Warren you stupid tart. You say who cares about the Italian league. Ok, lets say the same about the Spanish because that is actually even easier! Xavi is crap, Iniesta is Crap, hell, Messi isn’t worth a pound because they are all in an easy league. Open your eyes, close your mouth and learn that Aquilani is a good player who will be in our team come September.
@Rob, what is your problem with Joe Cole? Not like he has had hundreds of appearances for us and he hasn’t looked that bad…
Whoever said that we should have Kuyt in the centre of a 4-3-3 should die of Shame. Kuyt is a Striker, not a holding Midfieler… :O He isn’t exactly a great passer of the ball either, just is a very good finisher. 🙂
How is the Italian league better than the Spanish league???? Are you for real??? I Guarantee AA is not in the team come September.
This thread shows that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, the Aquilani assists rate happened in England not Italy!!
I think we’re going back to the days when all of the front 6 were capable of scoring a goal.
We need all the matchwinners we can field (that is why Utd have been so successful)and Henderson and Adam created a lot of chances last season.
Aquilani is technically the best player at the club and that was apparent in his half a season in 09-10. He is the proper playmaking #10 that we’ve been crying out for. As David Oco said we need a full squad of 25 quality footballers to compete.
If he stays I think he’ll be a star in this league because his brilliant first touch will buy him more time on the ball. The thought of Gerrard, Suarez, Adam, Downing, Carroll, Lucas, Raul M, Maxi and Kuyt linking with Aquilani is a prospect worth savouring.
Poulsen should be sold immediately he can’t keep up in this league.
Oh and forget the cheap homophobic insults and swearing, its not very adult is it?
Lets hope Aquilani stays and plays to the level he is capable of, the only winners will be the Liverpool fans who will be treated to fast, attacking, entertaining, winning, possession football.
@Warren
Putts. When We tried to sell Alonso to buy Barry our asking price was 14 million and there were no takers beacuse he had been so bad for us for the previous two years no one deemed him worth it. It was only when Alonso got a sulk on and played his heart out to prove a point to Rafa that he upped his game and the big money offers came flooding in. I believe the final transfer fee was 30m.
Warren you twat ….!!!
Aqua is pure class, KK better keep him…
Poulsen, fuck offf
J Cole, Piss offf
Ngog, waste of time
Jovanovic, go home
El zhar,degen,insua,jones release them all..
Shelvey,darby,wisdom,flanno loan em out …
Warren u fucking bastard, shut up….
Aqua,adam,downing,gerrard,spearing,meireles,henderson,lucas,kuyt \=D/ 😀
Aqua man has to stay! I would be gutted if we sold him! He. Reminds me of modric, and just look at what he’s done for Tottenham. If we have to sell a midfielder, then I’d have to get rid of poulson and cole, if we can’t get rid, then raul would be next on my list, ok, he banged in a few foals, but i think he tends to go missing, and doesn’t get stuck in enough!
And I think we’d get a decent price for him. @Warren, as well as showing up yourself, you’ve also managed to make homophobic comments on hear, which belong in the playground, but most of all, you’ve proved that you know absolutely nothing about football!
Warren. Don’t take it too personally, but you are a fool. You say Adam & Aquilani would be too slow & weak defensively? Who said they would play together as the only 2 CM’s. Aquilani, love him or loathe him, is technically superior to almost everyone else in the squad. That is FACT.He gives us a different option in midfield, & for that reason, is worth keeping.
ps: Handrit, how can you expect anyone to take you seriously when you show such an amazing lack of class. If you’ve got something to say, say it. Without the vitriol which just makes you look clueless.
whatever Warren said, we have actually good midfielders stock even overstock. So why should you worry about AA will fit them team or not? he would be an advantage asset for us or at least he’s a good backup player for us since we already have Gerard, Adam, Downing and Lucas. Also please never forget that we still have Meireles and Spearing as players with promising vision.
In football there is something called quality and thats what Aquilani is!. I have just seen the Liverpool vs Valerenga game,,Auilani came on in the 80th minute and we scored 2 goals in the process from his assists and corners. Aquaman has proven a point to the world and If Kenny sold him for anything less than 20mil (considering the price for hernderson) it would be the first mistake he’s made.