Earlier in the season, former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie argued that Charlie Adam has the potential to be as good as Xabi Alonso, an opinion that was met with derision by many Liverpool fans. Now, Gillespie has gone one further, stating that he believes Adam can be even better than the Spanish midfield maestro. Is he right?
Gillespie, who was co-commentating on the QPR game last Saturday, enthused:
"His [Adam's] performances all season have been excellent. He's a midfield player that makes things happen. He hurts teams, and he hurts defences with his passing.
"I like him, and I've gone on record as saying think he's got all the capabilities of being better than Xabi Alonso. I stick by that.
"He's also gives you goals as well; he created a great goal for Suarez against QPR. I think he's a great player".
Jaimie Kanwar
Gillespie, who was co-commentating on the QPR game last Saturday, enthused:
"His [Adam's] performances all season have been excellent. He's a midfield player that makes things happen. He hurts teams, and he hurts defences with his passing.
"I like him, and I've gone on record as saying think he's got all the capabilities of being better than Xabi Alonso. I stick by that.
"He's also gives you goals as well; he created a great goal for Suarez against QPR. I think he's a great player".
Jaimie Kanwar
Don't know if I'd compare him to Alonso...
ReplyDeleteJust a few things I think Alonso did better,
Better tackler, better positional awareness, controlled the tempo superbly, better composure under pressure, better stamina/fitness levels... and I still believe his overall passing range is superior.
However for the money we spent on Adam it was certainly good value.
If we wanted a genuine world class midfielder, we should have taken the Carroll money and bought Javi Martinez.
A midfield of Lucas, Martinez & Gerrard would have been amazing for us.
Spot on DavidK. Adam is just a good player but not world class player like Alonso.
ReplyDeleteHe was a bargain at the price we paid for him, but untill he can prove himself on a bigger stage he cannot be compared to Alonso.
ReplyDeleteXabi has produced in the Champions League, European Championship, and the World Cup. It is slightly unfair as Adam will probably not have a chance Internationally, but it would be interesting to see if he could unlock, score, or stop Europe's elite teams - there is a major difference between creating a goal against QPR and a disclipined top Italian side, just as their would be in stopping Wolves from attacking compared to Real Madrid or Barcelona... It is for that reason the comparison between the two is misleading.
Personally I dont buy it, I think he is a good player but not on the same level as Xabi Alonso, if Gary Gillespie is indeed correct that he can be better than Alonso then I expect a lot of big European clubs would be trying to sign him... and over Schweinsteger who I rate as the next best thing to Alonso in that position.
Thanks, David. Re:
ReplyDeleteBetter tackler, better positional awareness, controlled the tempo superbly, better composure under pressure, better stamina/fitness levels... and I still believe his overall passing range is superior.
What evidence is there to suggest that Alonso is better in the areas you highlight above?
Adam has been a great signing, he has made a huge impact. His goals and assists speak for themselves. Alonso was class,. no doubt, but Adam has only started his career with us, in time he will surpass Alonso
ReplyDeleteGood man Gary. Drink up, we're leaving.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that Adam is a decent player and a good signing for LFC, I find that comparison with Alonso a bit stretched. That being said, there are very few midfielders in Europe who are better than Alonso, who is both destructive and creative, and not too shy on a goal which makes him a very complete player, and Adam, sadly is not on that list. Again, Adam's a decent player. But not the same league as Alonso.
ReplyDeleteI have to stop reading your articles.
ReplyDeleteAdam & Alonso have different qualities and will never be directly comparable! Personally I would always prefer a more attack minded midfielder and therefore I have a preference for Adam.
ReplyDeleteWhat can be comparable is their influence on the team when they first arrived and I have to say that during his first 6 months Adam has been far more impressive than what Alonso was. Its early days but if Adam continues to improve he will be a far more valuable midfielder to the Reds than what Alonso was and that is saying something!
I like Adam a lot. He's definitely a good footballer.
ReplyDeleteBut to say he is, or will become, better than Alonso are, I'm afraid, way off the mark. DavidK has it spot on. Alonso might be behind Adam in terms of assists/goals, but Alonso's all round play and his ability to dictate the tempo was in itself creative. Alonso was the direct line for the Gerrard-Torres partnership. And our possession game was based around Alonso, which is why when he left it all fell apart. Adam is getting there, getting better, but is not in the same league as Xabi
There are no stats that can accurately calculate total domination and control of a midfield and that is what Xabi gave us. His positional play coupled with his ability to own midfield were second to none.....and at his his best he could do it for 90 minutes.
ReplyDeleteAdam is all about end product and he is gifted at scoring an creating chances and yes does possibly have more weapons in his armoury than Alonso, but it just isn't in his game to grab that central midfield by they scruff of the neck and completely dictate the play (not in a 4-4-2 anyway) the way Xabi could. What Adam gives us Xabi never will and vice-verse, a fusion of the two players would be all encompassing on a football pitch.
that's fair
ReplyDeleteThis is like comparing a green apple with a red one! Their qualities overlap, but there are significant differences. Adam can never set the tempo of a game like Alonso does and doesn't have the same finesse in the tackle. However, Adam is better with dead balls, moves about the pitch more dynamically and participates more in attacks. Where they are like for like would be their range of passing and sense of positioning with regards to team mates. Adam may not be as good at positioning himself as Alonso, but they both certainly know how to pick their passes from deep. I certainly do not think Adam is or will be better, but he won't be worse either. Adam adds to attack what Alonso does to defence, but both of them contribute just as much overall. What he lacks cerebrally, he certainly makes up with passion. This is much like comparing Shelvey and Henderson where the 14s are more similar in their approach and same for the ones who played for Blackpool - although Shelvey and Henderson's other qualities are even more similar!
ReplyDeleteI couldnt vote because their isnt an option that says,
ReplyDelete"Similar attributed players who excell in different areas"
Only time will tell.
ReplyDeleteWay too early to start judging the 2 players. Adam has been a massive signing and love the way he spreads the play and as an attacking force will score goals and cause defence problems with his final third passing and crossing.
ReplyDeleteAlonso is more suited to a passing team and I am not suprised he has cemented his place in the Spain National team, his range of short and long passing is comparable to Xavi at Barca but does he really hurt teams??? Adam has found an extra yard of pace when running at Defenders, something that suprised me, but if I had to decide now I would take Alonso as he dictated the play of games when at LFC and too early to see if Adam will carry on.
That is saying Liverpool does not have many influencing players at this time compared to when Alonso started.
ReplyDeleteAlonso was garbage for 2 seasons.. people forget quickly. he had a great final season, coupled with a decline after he left and people put 2 and 2 together and come up with 753. Alonso was up and down like a whore's knickers.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the assists or goals that make Alonso what he is. He is rarely the one to make the final pass but he is the one who is dictating pace of play for his team, finding wingers with his through ball, making other midfielders play faster, seeing opportunities that others dont.
ReplyDeleteAdam made most of his assists by crossing, often after a corner or free kick, also his crossing comes with a price. He often gives away a ball by trying to make a cross and if it's not working team is quick to lose possession like that.
Players like Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Sneijder are the ones who keep possession but also make passes when the time is right to create chances, they also make their teammates better players.
I admit that he's improving with every game that passes but if he wants to be considered in the same league of Xabi Alonso he has to learn to pass it along the ground
ReplyDeleteNever replied to a post before, but spot on.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing i could add that i would doubt whether Adam could have the same impact as Alonso in a big European away match (granted we are not there yet:)) such as Madrid or Barca. Thats no criticsm and i am a huge fan of Adam and delighted with the purchase, it's just that Alonso's impact cannot always be measured by stats such as goals and assists. His calming influence in the the middle of the park in thos big away games was huge but can be easily overlooked when looking back.
Hi Mraven - thanks for your views. I think you're right about Adam; so far, he's done it in the league but Europe is a totally different ball-game. Hopefully we'll be in the CL next season and then we'll be able to see if he's got what it takes.
ReplyDeleteI personally think he'll be even better in Europe because the games are generally slower-paced. The Premier Leagus is probably the fastes, most frenetic league in Europe, and Adam still managers to get his passes away with accuracy. If he has more time on the ball, then it's probable he'll have more of an impact on the game.
Surprised an ex-pro made that comparison. It's Apples to Oranges. Impressed with how Charlie has applied himself and improved throughout the season. Unlike Carroll, Henderson or Downing he doesn't seem overawed in the slightest. Against QPR his pass accuracy was 80% far higher than his time with Blackpool. I think with his attitude and application he will only improve.
ReplyDelete2 out of 5. Your right
ReplyDeleteInjure prone yes, garbage never! When he first came to LFC Haman was still very much active, so he didn't impose himself right away.
ReplyDeleteEven after his worst season in Liverpool I couldn't understand why Benitez wanted to replace him with Barry.Same Benitez who than gone to buy Aquillani who had problems staying fit in Serie A... I was never the one to bash Benitez but this wasn't sane decision.
karl baxter-well said.
ReplyDeletealonso in his nd last season was poor and if he was sold that summer alot of people wouldn't have been upet,he played for a move in his final season.
he was a good player for us but i think he has gotten better in peoples minds than his performances showed.
Charlie Adam is definitely a contender for the steal of the season at his price tag. A shrewd buy for KD. Let hope the 3 English trio can live up to their price tags and expectations too.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think Xabi is better than Charlie, but I thought they don't share the same role in the team.
We might have a problem on our hands come end of season when Madrid or Barcelona come for him with an offer in excess of 30 to 50 million because Adam is better than Alonso and also he scores and makes assists something which Alonso Alonso has never one.
ReplyDeletePlayers like Adam are very few and we are privileged to see him play at anfield in our life times..make the most of Adam whilst he is playing..watching Adam play is a pleasure
Pretty strong stuff from GG making a statement that bold. As for one poster saying that Alonso was garbage for two seasons, I'd like to know which ones he was garbage in. Wasn't the first season, even though he spent over 3 months out with a broken ankle. Wasn't the second season, we won the FA Cup and finished with a then highest points total in the premier league to that point just behind Man Utd. Wasn't the third season as we qualified again for the Champions League and made the final of the competition that year. Wasn't the fourth season because again he got injured for over 3 months with a broken metatarsal. His final season speaks for itself. I suggest people stop reading the papers and go and actually watch games before making dumb comments like "Alonso was garbage for two seasons". I like Adam by the way but apart from his passing ability which isn't on the same level as Xabi Alonso's he is very adept in that area and something we have been missing since the Spaniard left. Also let's give Alonso the respect that he deserves because he is still a supporter and never left the club on bad terms.
ReplyDeleteGillespie is a LFCtv jobsworth, protecting his cushy job. He'd never make that ridiculous comparison if Alonso was still at the club. Alonso is on a different planet to Adam.
ReplyDeleteAdam is young has the potential but is still far from Xabi's league. I wouldn't worry if Charlie ever get as good or better than Xabi
ReplyDeleteKenny might not get it 100% right all the time when it comes to the stuff on the pitch, he's only a human after all. The reason I have strong believe in him is his man management. He wouldn't have signed players who can easily have their head turned as soon as Madrid or Mancashter City knock on the door. When he was at Blackburn, he had cash to splash but that's not how he sells the club, he sells the ambition and his plans
No disrespect to Adam, but I just can't see him being better than Alonso. Not now, not ever. Although I see him as a fantastic addition to the team, especially for that low price. Worth £20 mill. now in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteAlonso had far more to his game than his passing (which he is in my opinion far superior to Adam, especially on short distances in high tempo).
He was an outstanding worker for the team, always ranking amongst the top 3 players on the charts of "Distance Covered" in CL, most of them on top.
He was also very good in his tackling, which I think is Adam's clear Achilles-heel, he's also known for picking up the odd red card, whilst Alonso, in his final season at LFC were the player in the Premiership who caused most opposition players to get a red card.
Why? Because the only thing the opposition could do when Alonso were on top form was to try to get him out of the game by hurting him, because he was unplayable in most parts of his last season here.
I'm not sure if you guys have been watching Real Madrid's games, but Alonso is in a totally different level than when he was at Liverpool. His passes now are not only accurate, they have that bullet pace that completely suits they counter-attacking style of play.
ReplyDeleteThe Alonso NOW is till miles ahead of the Adam NOW.
But the Alonso THEN, yes I can see Adam being equally as good or better.
Could be one of the stupidest statements ever made... he is nowhere close to Xabi!... his passing is not accurate. He doesn't have close to the creativity that Xabi had.. this is classic "fan" overhype.. just like all the people who said Carroline was going to be the next great striker .. when anyone who watched NU knew he was just an overhype Brit striker .. We need to be getting a world class attacking mid and a world class striker if we want any chance of CL... if we keep the squad as is .. then we will not even playing in Europa next year..
ReplyDeleteI find Adam a terrible disappointment. He was the only signing in the summer I had any hopes for - I knew Carroll, Downing and Henderson were a waste of money - but he has shown next to nothing excepta chronic tendency to overhit his passes. Alonso was hugely overrated by Liverpool fans but was still better than Adam.
ReplyDeleteSure, it's a pleasure if you're not a Liverpool fan. What the hell has he done so far? When he played for Blackpool he looked good - now he looks likke just another dross Liverpool midfielder.
ReplyDelete