27 May 2010

Fabio Aurelio: 18 months of injuries in 4 years. LFC - Please STOP SIGNING injury prone players!

Perpetual crock Fabio Aurelio has turned down a pay-as-you-play deal and is now set to leave Liverpool. Given his injury history over the last 4 years, this is definitely the best thing for the club.

The plain fact is this: Aurelio (aka Mr Glass) is injury prone. He may have a great left foot and (allegedly) be fantastic at set-pieces, but what difference does it make if the team doesn't benefit because he's regularly injured?

Let's take a look at the facts:

Oct 2006 - Injured: Out for 1 month
Jan 2007 - Injured: Out for 6 weeks
Apr 2007 - Injured: Achilles tendon. Out for 5 months

Apr 2008 - Injured: Adductor muscle - Out for 4 months
Nov 2008 - Injured: Out for 5 weeks

Jul 2009 - Injured: Playing football with kids - Out for 2 months
Oct 2009 - Injured: out for 4 weeks

Feb 2010 - Injured: out for 10 weeks

That is 18 months of injury time in 4 seasons (!)


Some more facts:

* Averaged 18 appearances per season for Valencia between 2000 and 2006

* Averaged 18 starts per season since coming to Liverpool.

* Averaged 1 goal and 3 assists per season for Liverpool.

NOTE: These figures are approximations based on several conflicting sources

Aurelio had a history of injuries at Valencia, and despite averaging a paltry 16 games a season over 6 years, Benitez still brought him to to the club. The club has also suffered from buying other injury prone players over the years (Aquilani/Degen etc).

Just imagine the impact Aurelio et al could've had for the club if they'd been fit most of the time? Perhaps the impact of our injury crisis last season may not have been so severe.

I find it kind of disturbing that despite sitting on the sidelines for 18 months at Liverpool, Rafa Benitez still wanted to keep him at the club. How this can be justified is beyond me. It was even more disturbing to find LFC linked to the perpetually injured Louis Saha last season (!).

This is nothing personal - Aurelio is clearly a nice guy who has been very unlucky. However, there is no room for sentiment, and when injuries start impacting the team, it's time for a change of approach. Buying injured players has proven to be a curse for Liverpool over the years. The simple solution is surely NOT TO RISK IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

In my view, Liverpool should institute a new transfer policy whereby:

1. The club does not buy *any* players with a significant injury history.

2. The club only buys players that are injury-free for two years prior to purchase.

I don't know about other fans, but I'm sick of money/wages/signing on-fees being wasted on perpetually injured players.

Jaimie Kanwar



68 comments:

  1. Got a lot of sympathy for Aurelio, as you say he seems a nice guy and we all wish he'd had better fortune with injuries. But TOTALLY AGREE: fitness record matters hugely! Having an injury doesn't just rule a player out of matches, it prevents them building up any form or momentum.

    Look at Aquilani - we saw some really good moments from him last season. Maybe if he'd had a pre-season we'd have seen a good debut season. Maybe he'd at least have warmed up to the pace of the league a bit after Christmas.

    But he was injured when we signed him, FOR BIG £££, and Benitez decided that there were hardly any games where he could risk an off-pace player. That injury essentially kept him out for months after it had allegedly been overcome. But he was essentially a spare wheel the whole season because he'd been injured when we signed him. SO DUMB!

    Especially when signing a striker to play with Torres, durability is key because we know Nando has a poor record in this department too (not helped by playing as a sole striker against rough-tough center back pairings, I'm sure). Benitez has signed players that may have ability, but their injury-proneness has turned them into reserve players almost immediately.

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  2. To be fair he doesn't sign many injury prone players, Degan, Aquilani and Aurelio are the only ones that i can think of that had a significant injury record, two of those players were free. I think the bigger problem is players become injury prone while they are here, the likes of Torres and Johnson never had a problem playing many games a season, there are some interesting comments regarding our medical system by our new Doc

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  3. I don't think we're in a position to sign top players unless they do have an issue.  Aurelio when fit is one of the top left backs in the league, he was free and contributed to our side during his time here.

    Good bit of business really, shame how it panned out.  Would have loved him to have stayed.

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  4. theycallmemrBurt1:06 pm, May 27, 2010

    Rafa has made quite a few boring if not bad signings.  Sometimes i'm glad of the injury to certain players.  Kuyt being out alays gives me a lift.

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  5. Come on, Rich.  Do you really believe that Aurelio was the *only* option in European football at the time?  Would it have been too much to ask to sign a left back who did not have an appalling injury history?

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  6. luckily he's built like a brick shitehouse so doesn't get injured very often at all - comes in handy for the dozen+ goals and dozen+ assists he seems to provide season in, season out....

    as stated above, aurelio would have been a great signiong if it wasn't for his injuries. Even so, as a freebie he still was a good signing imo

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  7. Rafa not been sacked yet?, oh dear, the board and fans must want more of the same next season, forget about winning anything, hell waste £20million on more CRAP, and a finish in the bottom half of the table is likely.

    Let me know when the fool gets sacked, only then will things improve.

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  8. Rafa plays his cards well.He is a politician

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  9. Why does Lucas never get injured? Its sounds horrible but that is the ONLY way that Rafa will change his negative, boring tactics in midfield!

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  10. <span>"2. The club only buys players that are injury-free for two years prior to purchase"</span>
    So, you wouldn't sign a Torres, Gerrard, Rooney, Fabregas, Van Persie, Drogba, etc? You've just ruled out about 95% of all potential signings.
    If only the club had some way to determine if a potential signing was prone to injuries, like some sort of medical type thing. Oh.

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  11. Your figures are wrong Jaimie.

    Aurelio has averaged 27 appearances per season for Liverpool and averaged 19 per season at Valencia.

    To be fair to him he did break his leg in 2003-04 and only managed 4 appearances as a result, the follwing season it was 24 appearances and then 22 the next before his transfer to Liverpool.

    He is an excellent set-piece specialist as his goal at OT last season proves, but he has been unfortunate with injuries. For a free transfer however, I think 27 appearances a season and some special goals isn't to bad. I see your point about Aquilani but he looked good towards the end of the season - lets see how he does next season before we write him off.

    Degen is one transfer I didn't understand, when he played he was utter shite.

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  12. Why does Lucas never get injured at least for 2 mths or so. that would've been nice, at least it would give someone else a chance to bore us with sideways passing.

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  13. Agree...Just posted that comment without seeing yours.

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  14. You can always rely on someone to over-simplify things.

    Are the injured players we've signed in that class? No.

    Do the players you mention have poor appearance levels of 16 per season (Aquilani and Degen have similar levels). NO

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  15. Spot on JK I have no problem at all with strenghtening the playing staff however players signed should always be an improvement on what we already have. Aurellio was not an improvement on JA Riise and we should have kept him and not signed Aurellio. We have too many injury prone players in and around the squad i.e Gerrard and Torres these players and others like them disrupt the balance of the team a) when they cany play and b) when they do play as all the systems change. I am not suggesting for 1 minute we get rid of torres but his appearances are limited. Maybe Mr Bruker the new man will help with this

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  16. The figures are not wrong.  I put 'appearances' insted of 'starts' for Aurelio.  My mistake.  It also depends on what source you use.  Soccernet stats confirm what I put; Wikipedia confirm the Valencia stats, though none are absolute, I guess.  The point is he's injury prone, and we need fit players.

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  17. This guy is no loss. Even when fit he was never better than average. To say he's one of the best around is a joke - off the top of my head Evra, Clichy, Cole, Baines, Warnock, Bale and Bridge are better left backs. There's probably more if you go further down the PL too.

    Let's not forget he was paid millions for his 'service'.

    I don't see why we don't convert Agger to a left back. He has all the ingredients for the role and just isn't aggressive enough to be a dominant centre half. It would also save us spending £5m on another of Rafa's dud full backs.

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  18. Actually Jaimie Aquilani averaged 29 appearances a season at Roma and managed 25 for us this season, within 5-6 months? If he stays injury free he may reach a "normal" 40+ season average.

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  19. Red, you have it spot on "Aurellio was not an improvement on JA Riise" but Rafa also sold Warnock the same season Aurelio arrived and Aurellio was not an improvement on Warnock either. Now he is making a name for himself at Villa and was sold for peanuts.

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  20. Worse was when Degen came on on the right when we actually had attacking options on the bench...That killed me.

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  21. Do you not think that's slightly misleading though Jaimie?

    "starts" is more about squad rotation and less about fitness if the player is on the bench surely?

    You could apply the same argument to Babel and Benayoun in your case as both have spent time on the bench when fit, would you class them as "injured"? Of course not.

    I got Aurelio's appearance information from soccernet also, seems fairly accurate.

    He is injury prone, no question, but he did manage 33 appearances in total for us last season - the injury in the summer was freakish and some what unfortunate when it looked like his injury free status was improving!

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  22. Hardly making a name for himself. He's 28 years old and he's third choice left back for England and that's only because Wayne Bridge has "retired" from international football. Whereas we have Insua who is only 21. Yes he had a average season last year but so did most of our players. He certainly has the talent so we need to see how he progresses.

    Max you continue to go on about these players who have been sold, get over it mate. They're gone. History. Your whining about it at any given opportunity will not bring them back.

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  23. "Evra, Clichy, Cole, Baines, Warnock, Bale and Bridge"

    if clichy, cole, baines, warnock or bridge are all rather avaerage. No doubt if they ever played for lfc , tis likely they'd be dismissed as shite by many of our supporters within seconds of putting on the shirt

    He's certainly had a mixed season but I don't think we should write off Insua yet. Bale for example has suffered 2 seasons of absolute dire form (and i'm a big fan of the guy btw), followed by a half season or so of excellent performances - but importantly he has come good in the end and shows how quickly the fortunes of a young player can change

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  24. Come on, you don't really wish any of our players any bad things do you.

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  25. I agree he is no great shame that he hasn't renewed his contract but in defence he was only offered a pay as you play deal due to his injury record so wouldn't have been bad to keep on board as a reserve left back to give Insua some coaching. 

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  26. Rafa would probably play Kuyt as a defensive midfielder in that case.

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  27. When fit, Agger is our best centreback so why would you want to put him on the left. You don't need to be aggressive to be a centreback. Its positioning and reading of the game that makes you a good centreback. Rio Ferdinand is the best CB in the country and he canters in most games.

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  28. Garry I dont see it as whining on Max is dead right. If we buy a player for whatever position then the player bought should be better than the player we have in the same position or at least as good as. Successive Managers have failed in this most basic of principles. We can be accused of buying for buyings sake and not necessarily for the improvement of the team.

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  29. spot on Garry Agger is one of if not the best cultured centre back in the prem. leave him where he is i say and lets see if insua can develop into the player he once showed promise of being.

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  30. Did I say anything about bringing them back and no shit shirlock they are gone.

    Dosenna who is also gone who isnt better than Warnock either. That is the point.

    Was I whining, then I guess Red (who i agreed with) was also whining.

    Sell players who are doing well and bring in players who shouldnt be at the club and keep on selling those players who are crap and replace them with some more crap. It is a cycle that we have seen every season under Rafa.

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  31. More than free? Probably

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  32. Iv heard it all, Rio Ferdinand best CB in the countey (and im not being biased because he plays for the scum).

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  33. you said - <span>Rafa Benitez still wanted to keep him at the club. How this can be justified is beyond me</span>

    Its fairly simple to justify - it was only a pay as you play deal so very little outlay to add a bit more depth to the squad makes perfect sense.
    If he wasnt fit we wouldnt be paying him anything.
    If he is fit he can come in and do a good job as he has proved in the past.
    Win win.

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  34. Red it depends why that player left. I don't believe Warnock or Riise were sold against their will. Warnock wanted first team opportunities and because of Riise he wasn't getting them. So he decided to leave. Rafa didn't kick him out. Riise also decided to leave, and wasn't forced out.

    "I didn’t have to leave because I had another year left, but I did want to be playing regularly and I didn’t feel that would happen this season if I stayed. I spent seven years at Liverpool and played more than 250 games. The challenge in Italy was the right one for my career and the time was right to change to another country."

    Crouch also left because he wanted to play regularly.  I just don't see the point in people like Max bringing them up at every given opportunity. Yes they were good players and they could have made a difference had they still been here but they're not, so why keep talking about them. You cannot keep a player that wants to leave.

    And to be fair, we also had the best season in 20 years without any of them.

    And Max, that would be Sherlock. As in Sherlock Holmes.

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  35. Max, You need to relax man! 

    Warnock wanted to leave for first team football that he wasn't getting because Risse was there. 

    Your comments are mind numbing at best and ignorant at worst

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  36. Big John name me a better all-round defender than Rio in this country? Ledley King is a close second and then Carvalho.

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  37. Hi Mark

    "I remember getting in the Champions League final squad and being absolutely delighted, going home and telling all the family," said Warnock. "And then I got a phone call from the assistant manager, not even the manager, to say, 'We've made a mistake on the squad, one of the other players has been added in and you've been taken out.' He [Josemi] had been injured, played one game that year and was back in the squad. I have never felt more betrayed. Not getting a phone call from the manager, I felt, was pretty weak.

    <span>Stuart James</span> <span>The Guardian</span>, Saturday 12 December 2009


    Go read the full article if you please...

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  38. I Accept that is not the way that things should be done.
    However, neither is it correct to be spouting off to the media.
    You illustrate your point with one that is just as bad.
    MOVE ON Max.
    Mummy will have your tea on the table.

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  39. "Warnock wanted to leave for first team football that he wasn't getting because Risse was there." Blah Blah Blah

    Yeah and Mummy will tell you not to worry because Benitez will put a smile on your face next season =-O

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  40. And your point is what Max?

    He played 65 games in a 3 year period between 2004-2007. That's an average of 22.33 games per year. Riise was first choice left back. 22 games per year is enough games to try to cement a first team place. So it is quite clear that he wasn't good enough to displace Riise.

    In that same article Warnock says

    "My only regret about Liverpool is that I didn't leave earlier, I was in and out the team at Liverpool but I felt that I was capable of playing in the <span>Premier League</span> and I knew that if I went somewhere else I could get myself back into a top club."

    So the quote you have posted is the final straw so to speak but not the reason for his leaving.

    And how do you know that the squad selection wasn't a tactical decision. Josemi was a right back, so maybe he was brought in as cover for Finnan, whereas Traore could take Riise's place on the left.

    Also how do you know that the assistant manager didn't make all the calls to all the players. Or do you have it in for Rafa that much that you assume that he didn't have the time of day for Warnock?

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  41. Guys you're wasting your time.

    I've learnt very quickly that Max is the King of obfuscation and avoidance, you'll prove him wrong and he'll quickly move on to a different subject. You proved him to be incorrect about making a name for himself (Warnock) and he then moves on to Rafa treating him badly which is why he left, you prove him wrong again and he will now change tact again.

    You may as well debate with a sausage. The problem with incompetence is that people are often to incompetent to realise their incompetence.

    The Dunning - Kruger effect.

    "In the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." Bertrand Russell.

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  42. It looks like Rafa will be at Pool next season

    He hasn't had the decency to resign which is excellent news for all Utd, Chelsea, City, Spurs, Arsenal, Villa and Everton supporters

    Liverpool to finish 8th next season

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  43. Maybe an arguement for cashing in on Torres whilst he can still command a circa £70M fee Jaimie??

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  44. Another negative article. This site has nothing positive to say about our beloved club. BOYCOTT THIS ANTI LIVERPOOL FC SITE.

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  45. It's funny that you take as gospel what players say in the media yet think that the manager shouldn't be believed.

    Hyp

    o

    crit

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  46. Gospel from the media & a hypocrite

    So what did your friend Gary take from the media then about Risse?

    Mark, take a look outside, the sky is blue! That is something which is believable...  

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  47. "You may as well debate with a sausage. The problem with incompetence is that people are often to incompetent to realise their incompetence." 
    And I guess the only reasion why you said that is because I do not agree with you?

    Tell you what, why do you not go find a website that is Praising Benitez for the six years he has been there, I am sure you will find somebody to agree with you there.

    "In the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt."

    So which one are you?   

    1. "the stupid are cocksure"
    or
    2. "the intelligent are full of doubt."

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  48. Hello Gary

    "I went on the pitch after the game. It was one of those moments where you are made up for the team, especially as I'm a Liverpool fan, but I felt gutted that I wasn't involved in the celebrations. It put a dampener on everything and, to be honest, I wanted to leave after that moment. I just thought, what's the point if he hasn't got the decency to talk to me himself and explain the situation? And I've never been told since."

    "So the quote you have posted is the final straw so to speak but not the reason for his leaving."  

    Do you want to try again?

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  49. No mate, Rafa will guarentee 7th and actually mean 10th... 

    Everton should be happy with that aswell!!!

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  50. Sayyid,

    Watch out mate, you are also going to be told by Anfield81 that

    "In the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt."

    But dont worry Sayyid, I have already asked Anfield 81 which one he would like to be...

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  51. BigJohn

    If Mauricio Pelligrino was still with the club and able to play, you would be told that he is the Best CB in the country!!!

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  52. Oh shit... hold on... I actually forgot...
    Pelligrino now gets told what to do by Benitez...  :-P

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  53. Sell Torres for 70mil and allow Benitez to use the 70mil to buy other players?

    We would end up with a team full of holding midfielders...

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  54. Rio Ferdinand is NOT the best CB in the country, he's not even the best CB at United! (Vidic).

    Ferdinand about 2-3 years ago was an excellent defender but now that he's lost a yard of pace his lack of high level concentration and anticipation comes to the fore, he doesn't have the pace to atone for his lapses in concentration any more - casing point, Torres getting goal side of him at OT last season and holding him off to score. (2008-09).

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  55. Brilliant.

    Thank you for proving my point so easily Max, you clearly don't understand the meaning do you Max?

    Intelligent people have doubts and concerns about the things that they do - they like to ensure there is little room for error and by this definition are cautious, whilst the stupid are cocksure in their approach as you've proved!

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  56. Why im hoping the arrival of Peter Brukner as Head of Sports Medicine and Sports Science.
    Will make a huge difference to the side been less injured and fitter  and to the signing of future players will be less prone to injuries  , hoping his philosophy is the same as the Famous AC Milan Science lab ..

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  57. "Intelligent people have doubts and concerns about the things that they do - they like to ensure there is little room for error and by this definition are cautious, whilst the stupid are cocksure in their approach as you've proved!"

    As I have proved what? So whatever you say is right and your opinion is KING?

    You still havent answered my question about which one you are

    1. "the stupid are cocksure"
    or
    2. "the intelligent are full of doubt." 

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  58. Oh and why dont you tell Sayyid the same as what you have told me?

    "In the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." 

    It looks like he is also giving Rafa a "bashing"...

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  59. I have no problem with Sayyid at all, each person is entitled to their opinion. I only have a problem with people who constantly labour the point with completely inane and invalid arguments all the while having not even the most basic comprehension for their own ignorance.

    You've been defeated in debate time and time again Max, and yet you fail to conceed at any time that you're wrong - ignorant, arrogant and cocksure.

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  60. Oh dear

    Sayyid posted the following

    "It looks like Rafa will be at Pool next season 
     
    He hasn't had the decency to resign which is excellent news for all Utd, Chelsea, City, Spurs, Arsenal, Villa and Everton supporters 
     
    Liverpool to finish 8th next season"



    So is that bashing Benitez or being polite?

    So does Sayyid not share the same opinion as me but yet you can say that  "each person is entitled to their opinion" &"I have no problem with Sayyid at all" which is contradictig yourself.So if my argument is inane then what is yours?



    Yes Anfield81 
    "Max is the King of obfuscation and avoidance"


    BUT You still havent answered my question which I have to keep on asking you...

    Which one are you?
     
    1. "the stupid are cocksure" 
    or 
    2. "the intelligent are full of doubt." 

    Practice what you preach or rather shut you face... 

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  61. Max you argue like a child would argue with his mother in the supermarket.

    I've made my point, I see no need to labour it.

    I haven't contradicted myself, I've explained myself quite clearly so I see no need to re-visit my previous comment.

    "Practice what I preach"?

    Erm...I am, and the answer to your question is rather obvious I'd have thought.

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  62. Not really son.  Anfield81 was pretty much spot on with the sausage comment.

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  63. Sausage, BigJohn wouldn't be told Pellegrino was the best CB in the country. We're talking about Rio Ferdinand. This is a proper football debate not a childish incoherent rant about Rafa.

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  64. Vidic was also run ragged by Torres not long ago. Vidic is quality but I think when fully fit Rio is still the best all round defender in the league. I use the term all round carefully. What he might lack in certain areas he makes up in others. His touch and distribution as a defender is quality and he is good on the ball. On top of all that he can actualy defend. We can all pick out mistakes with any defender in the league but I think Rio is still the best. To be fair to him he hasn't been fully fit the last couple of years which has affected his performance but if I was to choose the England defence tomorrow it would always be Rio plus another.

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  65. Bravo Gary, very true, Sausage is as sausage does.

    In response to your comment about Rio, I think he's a top defender but he's not as good as he was a few years ago, you're right that injuries have plagued him somewhat of late but I still, in my honest opinion thin Vidic is a better defender.

    To be honest, the way Agger is progressing and certainly his performances towards the end of last season and his ever improving ability to carry the ball out of defence, I see no reason why he couldn't be the best defender in this country in a year or so.

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  66. Max

    Time for Your maths GCSE. Off you toddle

    x

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  67. I suppose when he sold Bellamy and invested the money on Torres you were singing the same tune max?

    Max, you're so entwined with this bitter hatred for one man. I think that you should just let it go. It surely cant be healthy.

    Your point earlier about him buying players that aren't an improvement on what we already have just makes you out to be a bitter twisted individual with no ability to be objective.

    You peddle your subjective arguments that all rely on supposition and opinion and the content of them is constantly torn apart by everyone around you.

    Give it up. Or at least become objective.

    Your only achievement on this site that I can see is that you are making yourself out to be a fool with a vendetta.

    When people have vendetta is removes their ability to think objectively and logically.

    You my learned friend have completely lost the plot...

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  68. I agree with you about Agger but his fitness is a problem. If he can stay fit next season he will be one of the best in the league. Still only 25 and a snip at approx £5million. A good buy from Rafa.

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