15 Feb 2012

Milan Star admits: I always knew £18m midfielder would flop at Liverpool...

Rafa Benitez made many effective signings during his time as manager of Liverpool, but the £18m purchase of injured midfield Alberto Aquilani to replace Xabi Alonso was arguably one of the Spaniard's worst transfer decisions. Aquilani is in action tonight in the Champions League against Arsenal, and ahead of the game, team-mate Taye Taiwo - currently on loan at QPR - argued that Aquilani's failure at Liverpool was inevitable

I was against the Aquilani signing from the start. Buying a player a history of injuries - who was also injured at the time of purchase - made no sense at all, and seemed like an obvious recipe for disaster.

Like many fans, my opposition had nothing to do with Aquilani's ability; he was and is a good player. However, Liverpool needed someone who could come in and take over from Alonso straight away, not three months down the line.

When Aquilani finally fought off his injury, he struggled to impose himself on the team, and Taiwo argues that he knew this would happen. He told The Daily Mail:

"I always thought he [Aquilani] might struggle at Liverpool.

"Given time and space, Alberto can kill teams with his passing, but in England everything is so quick and that didn’t give him time to pick out those passes.

"It’s like basketball in the Premier League. Italian football is much slower and that brings out the best in him.

"He’s gone back to Italy, been given a chance and he is proving himself now, but -[Arsenal's] Alex Song will have no problem doing a job on Alberto".


To add insult to injury, Benitez rarely played Aquilani when he was actually fully fit, to the extent that 10 weeks after he returned to fitness, the Italian was still struggling to get into the team. Clearly, another example of 'The Benitez Effect'

Benitez's transfer dealings in the summer of 2009 clearly cost Liverpool a place in the Champions League, and the same thing has happened this year with Kenny's dodgy signings.

Aquilani clearly got the better deal this season though: Milan are top of the Italian League and are playing in the Champions League.

Jaimie Kanwar


38 comments:

  1. Him doing well bodes well for his sale at the end of the season which is what Liverpool wants more than anything!

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  2. taiwo get worry about relegation fight at qpr
    no need to worry for liverpool
    becoz when approached to come to liverpool u went 2 milan
    am sorry mate non of ur business
    rafa was great 4 lfc and jamie we must agree evry1 makes mistake 

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  3. There are more names you can add to his signings. 

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  4. He has a right to his opinion just like everyone else. I also happen to totally agree with him.

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  5. Its all rubbish! Truth is that Aquilani never got a proper chance at Liverpool. First season he was inured and settling in. Then he was flogged on loan. We saw his quality in pre-season matches. He was head and shoulders above rest of the players at that time.
    He always has a bit of extra time on the ball when he gets it. A sign of a quality player!

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  6. did/does aquilani at 18 mill show more quality than hendo (16) or  carroll (35) ? i say most definitely

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  7. Exactly .. Taye might be right ... but it is not entirely implausable that Aquilani could have adapted to the premier league pace. Rafa's fault was not utilizing him properly.

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  8. Not surprised tbh but maybe given time he would have settled in. Although, it was strange for why he was bought and how Rafa used him when fit. He was never ever going to be played in his favoured roles, attacking midfielder or a central midfielder in a 3-man central midfield, because of Gerrard. He was never really a Alonso-type player at Roma and in a quicker league, asking him to play that kind of role, he was going to find it hard.

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  9. I agree with Taiwo on this one in hindsight it was a bit of a stupid descision bringing in an injured player to replace one of the best. Aqua did look really promising in preseason but the thing people are forgetting is the moaning hes done since he joined the club about how he wanted to go home. Is that good for the club?

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  10. Aquilani or Adam? Meireles or Henderson?

    Adam was a pointless/unnecessary signing, and when you consider we shuffled Aquilani and Meireles out the back door to accommodate him, it became totally ill-advised almost to the point of negligence. Begs the uncomfortable question though why get rid of a archetypal pass-and-move players for a hoof-and-shuffle one?

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  11. http://hereisthecity.com/2012/02/15/we-want-benitez-back-say-liverpool-fans/

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  12. Ultimate solution find a young John Wark sell all the flops and watch the goal drought dissapear! haha

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  13. I thought 2 goals and 6 assists in 12 games show the contrary, i remember Rafa playing in the centre of midfield and he was ok, than playing him as an AM and he excelled so Rafa like with Gerrard was trying to find a place in the team an he was on the right track

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  14. good question, i was devastated when i heard about our new signings in the summer even more baffled when i knew they're replacing Aqua and Meireles, still can't forgive that to Kenny

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  15. Liverpool should take Aquilani back and sign more players who play like him. He's the one who plays the right football, the Liverpool way - pass and move!

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  16. completely agree...if we still had aquilani and raul meireles instead of charlie adam and jordan henderson we would have prob been in a better position....seems strange to let them go, both seem perfect for pass and move football but seeing how defensive kenny's sides are i can see why he went for grafters in adam and henderson. Doesnt mean i agree with it, we should have kept Aquilani and Raul Meireles (one of highest goalscorers last season, we've missed his goals from midfield bigtime), and then used the £16m or whatever it was to bring in another good striker. Sad to say but kenny got his transfer dealings all wri

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  17. Too injury prone, but good player.

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  18. rafa won a europian cup wat u eva done, shut it

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  19. It's just unfortunate that his sale is at a pre-agreed price. Him playing well is not going to put the price up, just ensure that the sale goes ahead.

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  20. Andy Carroll was also injured at time of signing...fell off a Tyneside bar stool I hear

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  21. Rafa should not sell Alonso. This started his death knell.

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  22. Rafa had some bad signings but most of those signings were not his first choice. Kenny got his first choice players at ridiculous prices. Which is worse? Rafa also showed that given the funds he would get quality players. Xabi, Torres, Pepe etc. All managers make a few mistakes. Aquaman is no doubt full of quality and should have been given more time. When he was ready we unfortunately had Hodgson in charge so bad luck there.

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  23. it took the majority of fans about 3-5 yrs before they realised xabi's quality. took ages before people even considered lucas as worthy of a starting place. fact is, if you not scoring regularly, most people are thoroughly underwhelmed, and the player is written off as unsuccessful. 
    I think his one season with us was really solid. i for one loved his style in the middle of the park and supported him up until the moment i realised that the boy just didnt have the guts to stay with us and fight. 

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  24. I totally agree! And unfortunately for LFC we give him away for practically nothing!
    He should be in the team ahead of Henderson and competing with Adam role!

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  25. Aquilani wasn't a great player but he had a bit of class. That puts him in a different league to Henderson and Adam. Why Adam is so awfuL I don't know - he was pretty decent for Blackpool. But the fact is he's dreadful. As for Henderson - woeful is the only adequate word to describe him.

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  26. I'd generally agree, but Aquilani aside, rafa's big money signings were quality. Liverpool new transfer policy probably costs us champs league at least this year with near biggest outlay of any English club in summer. And who have we got that's a top player? Suarez? Yes, he's also the biggest twat in football...

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  27. Rafa didn't have a lot of choice when buying Aquilani. Hicks and Gillett had sucked away the Alonso money and he was only allowed to buy from a limited number of clubs that owed us money.  Rafa got screwed in the later years of his reign.

    I'd have him back because he'd do well under competent a ownership and management structure.  But not in preference to having King Kenny at the helm, I hasten to add.

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  28. Benitez effect eh?

    In Valencia:
    Under Rafa: Aimar, Ayala, Baraja etc = world class
    Post Rafa: Same players = average and anonymous

    In Liverpool:
    Under Rafa: Torres, Gerrard, and even CARRA = world class
    Post Rafa: Torres is/was crap, Gerrard is nowhere near the force he was, Carra is exposed as being only world class under Rafa's zonal marking. As a typical man to man, he's pretty bad this season. 

    Yes Reina, Alonso and Mascherano are world class too, but they have moved on and arguably only Alonso have done better since leaving. Masch is a bit part player these days, and Reina although getting all the plaudits is not the golden gloves shoe in he once was every season. 

    THATS the true Benitez effect. He makes SOME players absolutely world class.

    Yes not all players prosper under him, but those that do arguably are the pinnacle in their respective positions

    But typical wind up as usual Jaimie. As usual your anti Rafa posts bring you the hits

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  29. Spot on. Aquaman was bought purely because we could only shop at Roma, as they owed us money, and allowed us to pay in installments. Johnson was bought because Pompey owed us money, and allowed us to pay in installments. It's a little difficult to buy quality when the owners only let you browse through Littlewoods catalogue.

    Don't let a little thing like the truth get in the way of a good story, tho', eh, J?

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  30. Aquilani wasn't successful at Liverpool only because he was loaned out by an idiot hodgson. Benitez bought him for 5 years at least and he actually adapted really well. He was outstanding when he played. Its stupid to say he didn't adapt to BPL because if anyone who watched those games can see he has class. Hodgson might have kept his job if he kept aquaman and he would also solve many of the teams current problems  

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  31. Aquilani "was not in action" on wednesday, because, He picked up an injury.
    He's still injured, and when He doesn't picks up an ankle, knee or harmstring injury, He regularly warms the Milan bench.
    He's a predictable injury prone Who has never proved anything substance at highest level. He's a bench warmer at Ac Milan, and on wednesday, when Milan dominated Arsenal with an empathic win, He was sidelined.
    The problem for Aquilani is not the EPL pace, but the fact He proved to be useless at the highest level as He's an injury prone.
    These are the facts.
    Meireles is a money-grabber Who got his move to Chelsea, Who meet his huge wage demands.
    Meireles put himself in transfer list as He struggles to made an impact there.
    Charlie Adam is a very nice play maker with a good vision and good long range passes, comfortable When He runs with the ball.
    He's enjoying a difficult moment, but He proved absolute class.
    Hendo is definitely one for the future and I can't believe it there are still people out there Who are slagging against a Playr Who's been showing nice talent, good passes, good crosses, good moves despite He's playing in an unusual wide role.
    These guys needs time to improve at the highest level but They've shown definitely more talent than an injury prove and innefective player like Aquilani and a patethic money grabber like Meireles.
    Support Your Club and Your Manager.
    We'are running for a Cup Double.
    I'm sick of You. Can You change your fucking Club, please? The door at Etihad is open 24 yrs a day..

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  32. u are seriously saying that Rafa would have bought this crop of big money wasters?

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  33. mate spot on!

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  34. Liverpool have failed to qualify for the Champions League next season. I must have missed it but tell me who won the Premiership this year, which other teams qualified for the Champions League and which teams were relegated to the Championship

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  35. i think adam is awful yes he mite be able to pik a pass out the bag but he cant tackle or track back but yes he shud be in the team.

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  36. Good point! Liverpool never wanted him. Andy Caroll has a lot of chances. So did Lucas Leiva. But Aquilani made only a few appearances in which he was above average. Poor management by Liverpool!!!

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  37. Several great players struggled to succeed in PL in their first year. Aquilani would have made it if he was given a proper chance.  

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